Chord-making attachment for stringed instruments.



G. E. SCHMIDT. CHORD MAKING ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.APPLICATION FILED DEO.9. 1912.

1,120,091 Patented Dec.8,1914.

fil'gfi. 1 m. n 1 6 m f 7 79 HE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTU-LITHQ.wAsHINGrpN, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SCHMIDT, 0E fiI-ZICAGO, ILLINOZS.

CHORD-MAKING.- ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTBUMENTS.

Application filed iliecember 9, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SCHMIDT, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago,county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Chord- Making Attachments for StringedInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form ofattachment for stringed musical instruments adapted to be operated todepress the strings of the instrument at difierent points for formingvarious chords; and to provide an improved construction and arrangementof the operating mechanism of such an attachment.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of theneck or upper part of a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, showingthe attachment in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the samewith the cover of the box removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalelevation taken on the line A-A of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail inperspective of one of the keys. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one ofthe auX- iliary key levers. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan viewof the operating arms which are actuated by the key levers.

In the construction shown in the drawings the attachment comprises asupporting member in the form of a box 1 which is adapted to besupported on the neck 2 of astringed instrument above the stringssubstantially as shown in Fig. 1. The box is herein shown as beingrigidly supported on the neck by brackets 3 but it will be understoodthat it may be shiftably supported as well.

The operating mechanism comprises members 4 herein shown to be ofsubstantially triangular shape pivotally mounted at one corner onhorizontally disposed axes 5, and members 6 also of substantiallytriangular shape pivot-ally mounted at one corner on the horizontallydisposed rods 7. Both the members 4 and the members 6 are arranged intransversely alined sets. The members 6 are also arranged inlongitudinally alined sets with the members 1, and are operativelyconnected therewith by means of the links 8. It will thus be seen thatthe members 4 and 6 are in efiect bell-crank levers. For

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Dec. 8, mm.

Serial Ho. 735,771.

the purpose of distinction the members 4 are hereinafter referred to asbell-crank striking levers, and the members 6 as bell-crank op eratinglevers. Each of the levers 1 has secured in the lower forward cornerthereof a pi ce of material 9, preferably felt, which protrudes throughthe apertures 10 in the bottom of the box and engages and depresses thecorresponding string 11 when the lever 4 is shifted.

The mecham'sm is operated by means of key levers 12 each comprising apiece of wire pivotally mounted on one of the rods 7 and being bent toform a part 13 and arm 1 1. The part 13 of each lever engages thetransversely alined set of operating levers 6 that are pivotally mountedon the respective rod 7. The arm 11 thereof is engaged by a key 15. Eachof the keys 15 comprises a rod bent upon itself and having an extension16 operating in the guideway 17 formed in the bottom of the box andhaving a head 18 formed on the end thereof exterior of the cover. Ashoulder 19 engages the bend 20 in the arm 14 and causes a depression ofthe arm when the key is depressed, and also prevents disengagement ofthe key when the parts are all connected in their assembled relation, byabutting against the cover if the key is raised.

An auxiliary key lever 21 is pivotally mounted on each of the rods 7adjacent to the regular key lever 12 and has a depending arm 22connecting it with a link 8' whereby it is connected to a striking lever4:. Each arm 14 of the levers 21 is provided with a shoulder 23 whichengages the arm 14: of said adjacent key lever 12, so that when theoperating key 15 is depressed both of the corresponding key levers 12and 21 will be depressed. These auxiliary key levers, however, do notinterfere with the independent operation of the regular key levers 12.The function of the auxiliary key levers, and the connected parts, is toadd one striking lever to the combination operated by the regular keylever, as for instance, would be the case when adding one note to achord which could be obtained by the operation of any one of the regularkeys.

The operating mechanism is normally urged into a retracted position bymeans of leaf springs 24-, there being one for each of the links 8 and 8to which they are operatively connected by links 25.

The operation of the device shown is as follows: The instrument is heldin the usual manner, the keys 15 being operated by the to move the links8 against the action of the springs 2%. This movement of therlinkscauses the striking levers 4; to be shifted and cause the parts 9,carried thereby, to engage and depress the corresponding string 11.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim 1. A device of the class described adapted for attachment to astringed instrument, comprising a supporting member, a p1urality ofbell-crank striking levers pivotally mounted thereon on axestransversely disposed to the strings of said instrument, means carriedby said levers and adapted to engage the strings on said instrument, aplurality of bell-crank operating levers pivotally mounted on saidmember on axes substantially parallel with the axes of said strikinglevers, keysconnected to shift said operating levers, and linksextending substantially parallel with said strings and connectingcertain of said operating levers with certain of said striking leverswhereby the depression of said keys will cause said means to depresssaid strings.

2. A device of the class'described, adapted for attachment to a stringedinstrument, comprising a supporting member mounted above the stringsofsaidinstrument, a plurality of bell-crank striking levers pivotallymounted at one end of said supporting memher in transversely. alinedsets, means carried by said levers and adapted to engage the strings ofsaid instrument, a plurality of bell-crank operating levers pivotallymounted at the other end of said member and arranged in transverselyalined sets, links extending substantially parallel with said stringsand pivotally connecting the longitudinally alined operating andstriking levers, and a plurality of keys connected to shift saidtransversely alined sets of operating levers whereby the connectedstriking levers will cause said means to depress said strings.

3. A device of the class described, adapted for attachment to a stringedinstrument, comprising a box supported above the means carried by saidlevers and extending strings of said instrument, a plurality ofbell-crank striking levers pivotally mounted in the bottom of said boxadjacent to one end thereof on horizontally disposed axes,

through apertures formed in the bottom of said box and adapted to engagethe strings of said instrument, a plurality of horizontally disposedrodssecured in the opposite end of said box and arranged transversely 1thereto, bell-crank operating levers pivotally mounted on said rods insets and arranged in longitudinal alinement with said striking levers,links connecting said longitudinally alined operating and strikinglevers, key levers mounted on each of said rods and engaging theoperating levers. pivoted thereto, an arm extending outwardly from .oneside .of each of said key levers, a key operatively connected to each ofsaid arms whereby the depression of one of said keys will: cause. saidlkey levers to depress corresponding operating levers and cause theconnected striking levers to shift the means carried thereby to depresssaid strings, and a plurality of leaf springs located at one end of saidbox and connected to said links and normally adapted to urge said leYersinto their retracted positions.

4:. A device of the class,descr-ibed,.adapted for attachment to astringed instrument, comprising a box supported above the strings ofsaid. instrument, a plurality of bellecrank striking levers pivotallymounted in the bottom of said box adjacent to one end thereof; onhorizontally disposed axes, means carried by said. levers andextendingthrough apertures formed, inv the bottom of said boxand adaptedto-engage the strings of saidinstrument, a plurality of horizontallydisposed rodssecured in the opposite end of said box and arrangedtransversely thereto, bell-crank operating leversv pivotally mounted onsaid rodsin sets and arranged in longitudinal alinement with saidstriking levers, links connecting said longitudinally alined operatingand striking levers, key levers mounted on each of said rods andengaging the operating levers pivotedthereto, an arm extending outwardlyfrom one side of each of said key levers, a key operatively connected toeach of said armswhereby the depression of one of said keys will causesaid key levers to depress corresponding operating levers and cause theconnected 12C- striking levers to. shift the means carried thereby todepress said strings, and an auxiliary key lever pivotally mounted onone of said rods adjacent to one of said key levers and having ashoulderadapted to en- 125 gage .the arm of said key lever whereby said one keylever maybe simultaneously depressed with said auxiliary key lever.

5. A deviceof the class described, adapted for attachment to a stringedinstrument,

comprising a supporting member mounted above the strings of saidinstrument, a plurality of bell-crank striking levers pivotally mountedat one end of said supporting member in transversely alined sets, meanscarried by said levers and adapted to engage the strings of saidinstrument, a plurality of bell-crank operating levers pivotally mountedat the other end of said member and arranged in transversely alinedsets, links connecting the longitudinally alined operating and strikinglevers, a plurality of main key levers pivotally mounted on horizontallydisposed axes and adapted to engage the transversely alined operating1evers, auxiliary key levers pivoted coaXially adjacent to each of saidmain key levers, a shoulder on each of said auxiliary key leversengaging the adjacent main key lever, and keys connected to said mainand auxiliary key levers.

Signed at Chicago this 2nd day of December, 1912.

CHARLES E. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses EDWIN PHELPS, J ENNIEL BURT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

